Rivers’s Senators Couldn't Stop Amaechi’s Screening

Ahead of Tuesday, October 13, Senate’s screening of ministerial nominees, the former governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi has been given a clean bill of health to appear the upper chamber for screening.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki

The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on Monday, October 12, had dropped the consideration of the petitions it received against the nomination of Amaechi.

The Senate had said that at least two out of the three senators from each state must endorse the nomination of ministerial nominee before confirmation can be carried out.

However, the spokesman of the upper chamber, Dino Melaye, had disclosed that the endorsement by two senators of a ministerial nominee would not be the only yardstick for confirmation as the Senate will consider other criteria.

A Rivers state senator, George Thompson Sekibo and his two others colleagues from state had presented a petition alleging that Amaechi misapprpraited state fund to the tune of N70 billion.

The petition that was authored by a Port Harcourt based group, The Integrity Group, according to close watchers of the unfolding drama in the state, the petition was sent with the aim to prevent the former governor from being confirmed as a minister.

The Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led committee after a meeting with the ministerial nominee at the National Assembly noted the said petition which was drawn from the report of the judicial panel of inquiry was already a subject of court case hence the committee would not want to preempt the decision of the court.

It was learnt that Ameachi was in company with his former commissioner of information, Ibim Semenitari and two members of House of Representatives.

The former governor told committee that the matter in which invitation was extended to him was already a subject of litigation.

Anyanwu said, while throwing out the petition against Ameachi ,that based on the present circumstance and in line with Section 7 of the Senate Standing Rules, it would amount to sub-judice to consider the petition.